Inspection Detail

Inspection: 112098355 - Ca Dept Of Corrections-California Men'S Colony

Inspection Information - Office: Labor Enforcement Task Force (Letf) Unit - South

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:40 a.m. on June 30, 1992, Employee #1, of the California Department of Corrections, and a coworker were moving approximately 5 ft wide by 4 ft high by 3 ft deep trash containers that weighed approximately 400 lb into position for garbage truck #111 to lift and dump. A bar on the container has rings on each end. This bar must be rolled into the hooks on the truck. The coworker, who was on the left, had his side in position, but the opposite side was too far to the left for Employee #1, who was on the right. Employee #1 pulled the container back out and over to the right. According to Employee #1, as he was pushing the container back into position, his right hand slipped and got between the bar on the container and the hook on the truck. According to the coworker and another employee, who both saw the accident, Employee #1 had his right hand on the container bar in order to move the container, and this is why his finger became caught between the bar and the hook. Employee #1's right ring finger was amputated to the first joint. The two coworkers, the supervisor, and the truck driver all said that they had been trained to move the container safely and had been trained not to put their hands on the bar. They also said that Employee #1 had a habit of putting his hand on the bar despite having been told many times, by all, not to put his hand there. Employee #1 was having trouble moving the container because the right front of the container was not rolling smoothly. He had to push harder. Unaware of the safety violation, the employer was issued a general citation because the container came from the manufacturer with only one hand hold. Two hands were needed to move the container.

Keywords: GARBAGE TRUCK, AMPUTATED, FINGER, WORK RULES, SLIP, CAUGHT BETWEEN, MANUAL MAT HANDLING, HAND